Gunnar Optiks Glasses: Can they break your eyes?

Not included in my mostly positive review of the Gunnar Optiks glasses aside from some jokes was whether or not they can do any harm to your eyes. It’s a valid question, not just because I’m wearing them right now but because we here at Gamester value you, our loyal readers, and your ability to see and click on the ads to the top and right of this post.

Iâ€™ve been testing these things for the past 3 weeks and I think the novelty has worn off. I also think that these lenses are hurting my eyes. Iâ€™m 26 and never wore glasses before. I know these have a slight prescription in them and now Iâ€™m a little concerned. I take them off and it seems my eyes are more sensitive causing headaches. Can anyone tell me if wearing glasses that are yellow with a prescription in them for 9+ hours a day, for 3 weeks damage my eyes? Thank you.

It deserves an answer so I posed the question to Mark McNabb, VP Marketing at Gunnar Optiks, as well as UCSF Optometrist Dr. Kelvin Tang.

1. The model he is referring to does not have â€œprescriptionâ€ lenses because only licensed doctors can issue a prescription. However, our off-the-shelf lenses does pre-focus the light to allow for near distance computer viewing.

2. The yellow tint shifts light into the preferred portion of the color spectrum so there is better contrast, detail and resolution.

3. Drawing a parallel to sunglasses, if one were to wear performance sunglasses 9+ hours per day and then take them off, there would also be sensitivity to sunlight. This is not uncommon. The retina “adapts” to this shifting in the wavelength of light, therefore one can expect a “rebound” effect- especially after 9+ hours

4. Our product is not a magic bullet and everyoneâ€™s experience is in a range of satisfaction from absolute improvement to overwhelming euphoria. We do have a warranty policy that protects everyone who purchases our products and if they are not satisfied within the first 30 days then we will be happy to refund the cost of the product.

5. This is new technology and many computer users need an adjustment period but this is the first time I have heard of reverse symptoms. There is a chance that the user is slightly nearsighted or myopic. If this is the case then the eyes are already trying to accommodate for the strain or stress created by near distance computer viewing. Our solution is not as effective for those people who are showing signs of myopia. It never hurts to get an eye exam just in case.

Now on to the impartial medical opinion. According to Dr. Tang, the glasses are a rehash of an old theory called syntonics. His exact words were, “I don’t think it works.” He points out that while there are benefits to the anti-glare coating and yellow tint, they’re more useful for night driving than computer use.

He also cited several dubious claims on their Web site. For example it claims on a graph that it prevents eye strain but doesn’t mention which muscles or for that matter how they measured it, and points to eye moisture levels as a benefit even though any tight-fitting glasses would have the same effect.

But there is good news. In response to the original question he said, “I don’t think there’s any harm being done, no.” Despite his reservations about the theories behind it or the validity of their claims he was clear that it’s probably not doing any damage, at least not any more than staring at a computer screen for nine hours would do on its own.

So to answer Randy’s question: It may not be doing much good, but it’s also probably not bad.